Year: 2012

The iDownloadBlog top news stories of the week [Dec 2, 2012 edition]

A new week is coming, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on what happened last week. If you think you may have missed a few of the top stories from last week, don't sweat it, we've got you covered.

We've gathered the top 10+ most popular stories from iDB last week for you to check out. As always, make sure that you're friends with us on Facebook, Google+, and that you are following us on Twitter...

Glif+ iPhone 5 tripod mount review

Yesterday, I finally received my Glif tripod mount for the iPhone 5. For anyone who's ever tried to take respectable photos or videos using the iPhone, then you know how indispensable a good tripod mount can be.

For someone like myself who's constantly shooting video, a tripod mount is an absolute necessity if I ever desire to switch from a DSLR and shoot video with my iOS device. Perhaps you noticed a few videos in the past where I've incorporated video from my iPhone 5? Needless to say, it wasn't a very pretty sight.

Although other tripod mounting solutions exist, the Glif from Studio Neat was among the first to solve the problem. It's also one of the easiest to use. Take a look inside as I examine it on video...

Sega’s Jet Set Radio lands in the App Store

Jet Set Radio first popped up back in 2000 for the Dreamcast console. I didn't play it then, but when its sequel, Jet Set Radio Future, came bundled with my original Xbox, I got hooked. So I was actually pretty excited to hear that Sega had ported the game to iOS this week...

Apple products trend on 2012’s most popular baby names list

Did you know that in 2012, it's become completely acceptable to name your newborn after an Apple product? In fact, it's not only acceptable, it's become quite trendy.

BabyCenter just published their list of this year's most popular baby names. And while choices like Siri and Apple didn't make the top 100, they did shoot up the charts...

Hackers talk iOS 6 jailbreak in HITB panel discussion

A little over a month ago, Pod2g, MuscleNerd and other hackers held a panel discussion at the Hack in the Box conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A few topics were mentioned, but the focus of the talk was jailbreaking.

We already posted a 30 minute excerpt from the discussion, but it was missing some interesting stuff. So we were happy to see a video of the full hour-long talk uploaded yesterday, and we've got it for you after the break...

Tim Cook to give first TV interview next week

Tim Cook was spotted at Apple's Grand Central store in New York City this afternoon, talking with NBC news anchor Brian Williams. The interview will appear on NBC's Rock Center television show, a weekly newsmagazine broadcast akin to Dateline, next week and will mark the CEO's first major TV appearance. We've got a preview clip and more details after the break...

Facebook starts rolling out Photo Sync for everyone

We told you a couple of weeks ago that Facebook had begun rolling out its new Photo Sync feature which, predictably, lets the Facebook app automatically upload your photos, ready for viewing on the Facebook website or inside any of the company's apps. Turns out Facebook was rolling it out to a select few, testing the feature with plans to roll it out to everyone at a later date. That date is today.

Announcing the move on its blog, Facebook today said that its Photo Sync feature will be available to all, with all the magic already built right into the existing Facebook app for iOS. The social giant needs to activate your account on their end, and voila, you've got a new feature.

Pretty nifty indeed...

Apple reportedly looking to move mobile chip business to Intel

As crazy as things have been getting between Apple and Samsung in their ongoing patent war, you knew it was only a matter of time before the fight spilled outside of the court room. We continue to hear rumors and reports that Apple is looking to move away from the Korean company as a component manufacturer — it's already doing this with displays, and could soon start doing it with processors...

BTIG Research: iTunes 11 feature could hint at future streaming service

As far back as I can remember, iTunes has always given users access to web radio stations. It comes pre-installed with hundreds of them, from practically every genre, from all around the world.

I've never really used the feature, and frankly I'm surprised that it hasn't been eliminated yet. But according to BTIG Research, its presence in iTunes 11 could be the sign of something bigger...

Apple actually tests LTE networks before giving 4G on its devices a go-ahead

When it comes to the question of an LTE network being compatible with the iPhone, Apple isn't ready to take a carrier's word. Although they've put up with clean desktops and higher-than-traditional licensing fees, wireless providers are now publicly irked that the Silicon Valley smartphone maker reportedly runs it's own tests before iPhones can operate on a 4G network.

A Swiss carrier has told a news site that Apple will issue a software update allowing iPhones to operate on an LTE network only after testing the carrier's live system. Recently, Swisscom announced the opening of its 4G network for customers - except for iPhone owners...